Tiger Woods entered a guilty plea to a lesser charge of reckless driving in a courtroom in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., stemming from his arrest in the early hours last Memorial Day.
The 41-year-old Woods, who admitted he was under the influence of prescription drugs when police found him pulled to the side of the road and asleep at the wheel, originally was charged with driving under the influence.
Dressed in a black suit in his appearance at North County Courthouse, Woods only said one word, “Yes,” when he was asked by Judge Sandra Bosso-Pardo if he understood the charges and was happy with his legal representation.
Woods, who was accompanied by lawyer Douglas Duncan, received 12 months of probation and a fine of $250 for court costs, must complete 50 hours of community service plus a DUI program, and attend a workshop where victims of impaired drivers discuss how their lives were damaged.
NBC News reported that Woods already has completed some of the requirements of his probation.
Woods took the plea as part of a DUI first-offender diversion program that wipes his record clean if he completes classes and refrains from drugs and alcohol use.
The former top-ranked golfer in the world has not played since withdrawing from the Dubai Desert Classic in February because of back spasms and later undergoing his fourth back surgery in recent years.
Woods recently returned to full golf activity and there is speculation he might play in the Hero World Challenge, which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation, at Albany Resort in the Bahamas in December.
